Today is the twelfth of September. There is over a quarter of a year left until Christmas, yet it has already begun making its appearance in stores nationwide. But why? If you're like me, you've wondered about this question time and time again. Consider Thanksgiving; it too is surrounded by craziness! The mad rush we refer to as Black Friday has all but consumed the special traditions of that holiday.
In my opinion editorial I hope to address both of these issues. I feel that this topic is both relatable and relevant to the BYU community and therefore I will try to answer all three of the "big questions." First, "what exists?" This portion of the editorial is where I will include statistics and dates--past history of the retail sales and opening times related to both Black Friday and Christmas. By doing so, I hope to establish ethos so that readers will be more open to what I will suggest later. I also hope to convince them that this is a symptom of a large issue within our culture: materialism.
The second question I will address is "what is good?" This is the segment of my editorial when I will talk about the importance of celebrating holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. Thanksgiving is a time to come together as a family, and to recognize that there is so much to be grateful for. I want my audience to feel the importance of what I'm trying convey, so I will use pathos to paint a picture of what Thanksgiving and Christmas is truly about. What is good almost always involves the people around us. It doesn't involve items that can be bought in a store. By giving readers a chance to acknowledge the worsening trend of commercial-holiday-craze, they will be more willing to do something to change.
The third and final question will follow right after the second, "what should we do?" There are many things that we as a BYU student body, faculty, community and even as a nation can do to be more aware of materialism in our lives. President Uchtdorf once said something to the effect of "we would do well to slow down a little, focus on the significant, and truly see the things that matter most." This quote is the driving force for my editorial and I will include it somewhere within the final paragraphs. As a BYU community, we can take a stand. We can recognize the things in our life that detract from the true meaning of the holidays: to be grateful, to remember Christ, and to serve. Change starts small, but BYU can make a difference by leading a unified change for the better.
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